Shock-absorber.



Ji., BETHUIV @L F. H. SBOCKx SHOCK BSORBER,

MPL10/ANON rum Nov. 1912.

Atto rnrws .axle 2 and a front axle f3.

entren radins retratar orienten.

JOHN G. BETHUNE AND FRANK H. BABCOCK, OF PUNXSUTAWNEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

incassa.

Application filed November 23, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July Mild.

Serial No. 733,163.

Be it known that We, JoHN G. BETHUNE and. FRANK H. BABoocn, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Punxsutawney, in the county otJell'erson, 'State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulShock-.absorben of which the following Ais a ilication. A

This invention relates to shock absorbers for automobiles and othervehicles, one of its objects being,1 'to provide a simple andinexpensive form of device of this character which can beapplied'readily to vehicles already in use 'and which operatesefficiently to retard the upward movement or rebound of a vehicle.

llitlr the foregoing and other objects in View which will appea as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides 4in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details ot construction hereinafterdcscribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment oi the invention herein disclosed, can be made Within thescope of what is cl aimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying' drawings the preferred form oi' our invention hasbeen shown. i

ln said drawings :-l1`igure l is a longtitndinal section through thorunninn` naar et a vehicle with the present `improvomonts ool'i'ibinodtherewith. Fig. Q is a rear elevation or' a portion ot the'rear axle otthe vohicle and showing the shook absorber-'in po sition thereon. Figi'.8 is a similar View olf a portion of the front axle with the shockabsorbing spring in position.

`Referringv to the lignrcsby characters olI reference l designates thechassis of a motor vehicle the same being provided with a rear 'll`iievehicle is provided with the usual laminated springs Il. whereby thedownward n'iovrment oi the chassis relative to the axles retardedduring' the jolting o'l the machine. ln order that the upward movementot' the chassis may be similarly retarded, cushioning` springs of novelform havcbecn provided in A addition to the. usual'laminated springsd.'Each of these shock absorbing springs is preferably laminated, as'illustrated at 5 and 6 in Figs. 2 and 3 respectively. The springo isdesigned to be used in connection with the rear axle 2 and has its endsconnected to the axle., as shown at 7 While its intermediate portion issecured to the chassis as shown at S, the laniinai oi the springbeingarranged upon the lower or concave portion thereof. Thisarrangement of parts is employod for the reason that the spring` isconstantly under tension and, when the chassis l begins its upn'ardmovement, the said spring' immediatclf.' exerts a restraining actionthereon, there being no interval during. `which the spring does notactivelydraiv upon the chassis. Importance is attached to the iactthatthe spring is constantly under tension as the chassis is thusmaintainedbc tween two opposed forces, to Wit, that exerted upwardly by thesprings -l and that exerted downwardly by the springr The front axle 3.which is not provided with a differential, can have secured to itscenter aspring,` 6 which is the exact reverse ol: the springv 5, theends` ot this spring 6 be in a' attached to the chassis l. The action ofthis springn is the saine as that of spring 5, il beingunderstood thatthe spring (i is constantly under tension so as to pull the chassisdownwardly and thus cause itt-o hold the 'springs L'lunder tension.

Tv'hat is claimed is:- The combination with the axle and body olr avehicle. ot' laminated cushioning springs nach :secured at its center tothe axle and at iis ends to the body, and a bowed laminated Vshockabsorbing' spring in the same vertical planey with the axle and securedto the body and arle, said shock absorbing spring being between andspaced 'from `the cushioning sp1-inns and all ot the springs beingconstantly under tension, the short laminac of the shock absorbingspring forming the concave surface of said spring, and the shortlaminaroi said cushioning` springs forming thcconvex surfaces of said springs.

ln testimony that we claim the foregoing as our` own, We have heretoatlixed our signa.- turcs in the presence of two Witnesses.

Dn. JOHN Gr. BETHUNE. FRANK H. BABCOCK.

1Witnesses:

J. L. BRADY, `A.. M; MEANS.

